Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 844 Plough Quarterly • Spring 2016 Readers Respond L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R Editors’ Note: Dozens of readers responded to our editorial in which we affirmed Christian mar- riage – regardless of recent changes in law – as the life- long union of one man and one woman (Autumn 2015 issue). Some voiced support; some disagreed vehemently; and others raised important questions. Selected letters and our answers are posted at plough.com/marriagedebate. What Do Christians Owe Refugees? On Plough’s Winter 2016 issue, “Mercy”: As Christians, we must possess the compassionate heart of Jesus; however, we must also remem- ber we are of another kingdom, the kingdom of God. The nations of this world cannot and will not operate in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount. So I am not critical of national leaders for lacking compassion towards the refugees. However, we as Christians are com- manded to honor and love them as people like us, created in God’s image. Joseph Allen Keller, Virginia Forgiving a Dictator On Kim Hyun-sik’s “Forgiving Kim Jong-il,” Winter 2016: This is one of the most moving accounts of forgiveness and reconciliation I have ever read. It is life-transforming. I beg readers to linger over it in prayer. Let us ask God to make us agents of peace in this troubled world. John Armstrong, Illinois A Veteran’s Legacy On Maureen Swinger’s “Coward, Take My Cow- ard’s Hand,” Winter 2016: At Christmas, Chris Farlekas used to make as many as a hundred pies in a church kitchen in Middletown, New York, for people who were facing poverty. It was his way of bringing some cheer, however small. In the spirit of what Chris did, this year my family and about ten girls from the Immaculate Heart Academy where I work are going to follow his example. We will be making sixty pies to be distributed to the homeless in New York City. Each pie will have a note attached that simply says, “Love, Chris.” Justin Nadal, New Jersey Steering the Plough The more I read Plough the more impressed I become. At first I wondered if it was overly American for Brits. But the Winter 2016 issue is truly international, with articles from the Isle of Man, Korea, and Germany. With both a Roman Catholic cardinal and an evangelical like Philip Yancey in the same issue, as well as a letter from a Muslim reader, the ecumeni- cal – indeed multi-faith – range is refreshing. I always look for short articles suitable for reading at prayers after supper here in our Franciscan Friary – often that’s the “Forerunners” biographies at the end such as Mother Maria’s or Badshah Khan’s. I’ve also read aloud “Lessons from a Village Cow” by Mahlon Vanderhoof as well as the “From the Archives” excerpt by Laurence Houseman on Saint Francis, which our older brothers could resonate with at once. As for suggestions, I’d like Plough to include more about the Bruderhof communities them- selves. And in the Letters section, could you say at least which country letters are from? Brother Hugh, Society of St Francis, Hilfield Friary, Dorchester, England We welcome letters to the editor. Letters and web comments may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. Letters should be sent with the writer’s name and address to letters@plough.com. Kuroda Seiki, Woman Reading Image from Wikimedia Commons (public domain)